Andhra Pradesh achieves another major milestone, says CM Naidu

Andhra Pradesh’s Visakhapatnam Refinery commissioned HPCL’s Residue Upgradation Facility, featuring three of the world’s heaviest reactors. The upgrade, part of the Visakh Refinery Modernisation Project, enhances fuel production, energy security, and regional socio-economic growth, supporting India’s Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative

Amaravati: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said on Monday that the State achieved another major milestone for Atmanirbhar Bharat with the successful commissioning of state-owned Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited’s Residue Upgradation Facility at Visakhapatnam Refinery.

“Andhra Pradesh anchors another major milestone for Aatmanirbhar Bharat. As part of the three-stage Visakh Refinery Modernisation Project (VRMP), the refinery now hosts a new Residue Upgradation Facility featuring three of the heaviest reactors in the world,” the Chief Minister posted on X.

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He said that this upgrade will help meet regional fuel needs and boost socio-economic growth. Chief Minister Naidu thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his vision in strengthening Visakh Refinery to support the nation’s energy security. With this, the East Coast also emerges as a world-class refining hub, he added.

The Chief Minister was reacting to Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri’s post. “Bharat’s journey toward achieving energy security has reached a milestone with the successful commissioning of HPCL’s Residue Upgradation Facility (RUF) at the Visakh Refinery,” the Union Minister posted. Hardeep Singh Puri wrote that this critical infrastructure in Andhra Pradesh is a decisive leap toward Atmanirbhar Bharat under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Modi and Chief Minister Naidu.

“The facility is a masterpiece of indigenous engineering, housing three LC-Max reactors of ~2,200 MT each ranking among the world’s heaviest engineering blocks”all fabricated and assembled within Bharat. With a capacity of 3.55 MMTPA, the RUF utilizes advanced residue hydrocracking technology to achieve a 93 per cent conversion of bottom of the barrel oils into high-value products, maximising the utility of every barrel to fuel the nation’s rapid ascent,” he said.

Originally commissioned by Caltex Oil Refining India (CORIL) with 0.675 million tonnes per annum installed capacity in 1956, Visakh Refinery is the oldest oil refinery site on the eastern coast. It has been owned and operated by Hindustan Petroleum since 1978.